New year, new laws in the US states

The new year brought a new mayor to New York City, and new laws in many of the 50 US states.

Democrat Eric Adams was elected in November to be the new leader of the largest city in the United States. He succeeded Bill de Blasio, who served two terms as mayor, starting in 2014.

The inauguration ceremony planned for Saturday was postponed due to the increase in the number of people infected with the omicron variant of the coronavirus.

On the other side of the country, the city of Seattle also got a new mayor. Bruce Harrell took over on Saturday.

Among the many new laws taking effect at the state level are minimum wage increases in a number of states, including California, Massachusetts, New Jersey and New Mexico.

Such laws have been passed by some state legislatures and governors, and in some cases minimum wage increases will be phased in over several years.

Animal protection, right to vote

Virginia has a new law banning cosmetic companies from testing their products on animals.

In Washington state, people who have served time in prison for less serious offenses now have the right to vote again as soon as they get out of prison.

Nevada has made it easier for its residents to vote by mail, with a new law requiring all registered voters to receive a ballot in the mail for each election.

Help others

A new Texas law exempts certain charities that provide housing or other assistance to the homeless from paying property taxes.

In Illinois, people who work at restaurants or truck stops will have to receive mandatory training to help them identify potential human trafficking cases and report suspected cases to authorities.

New Hampshire law increases penalties for drunk driving in cases where the driver has injured or killed someone.

A new Colorado law makes it easier for people who were sexually assaulted as children to report those cases, which will no longer have a statute of limitations.

Human health and well-being

The state of Connecticut has introduced a cap on the maximum cost of insulin and other diabetes medications.

Montana has joined states that allow recreational marijuana use, which will be legal in parts of the state where a majority of voters support it.

In Pennsylvania, the city of Philadelphia has banned employers from testing their new hires for marijuana.

And in Missouri, health insurance plans must now include coverage for treatment of certain mental health problems.